


Retribution

by DearCat



Series: Tumblr Archive [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, BAMF Sawada Tsunayoshi, Gen, Long-suffering Xanxus, Mage Tsuna, Magic, anger management issues, possible angst?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-01-16 09:30:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21268829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DearCat/pseuds/DearCat
Summary: The magical world is ruled by the law of equal exchange. When Tsuna gets stolen from, he wastes no time in seeking retribution.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a bigger version of a little drabble in my Tumblr.  
If you want to check out the original you can find it here:
> 
> [Prompts](https://dearcat1.tumblr.com/post/188567677995/witterprompts-if-youre-trying-to-make-me)
> 
> Enjoy!

Things start going wrong from the moment Tsuna feels the flare of his wards warning him of several breaches on one of his properties. It makes Tsuna pause both in possessive fury and incredulous disbelief. That people in the mafia try to walk all over him is one thing. As far as they know, Tsuna is a civilian brat with little training and no knowledge of their world. It makes sense. 

But in the magical world?

Oh, they should have known better. Tsuna is a mage strong enough, notorious enough, that the mere mention of his name invokes respect. For somebody to be stupid enough to breach his wards and steal from him? It needs retribution. Unlike flame-users, the magical community doesn't have a secrecy law, what they have is the law of equal exchange.

It ensures the secrecy, regardless of whether it was meant for it or not. After all, knowledge, like everything else, is not given freely and there's very little that those outside of the community could bargain with. The one law that rules it all, if you want something you trade for it. And these people? They just broke it, they tried to steal from Tsuna and Tsuna will pay them back, generously. 

So, the wards going off was the first step in everything going downhill. The second is that it happens during a meeting with Xanxus, Xanxus who might like him better but still has a rather short temper and hates being ignored. Which means that when Tsuna suddenly ignores whatever Xanxus is saying and storms out of the room? Xanxus follows a step behind with curses on his lips.

Tsuna ignores that, of course, because he's honed in on his stolen chest and following the miserable idiots who thought it smart to cross him. At some point, Xanxus stops cursing, gives up on getting answers and resigns himself of being the voice of reason for once.

Not that Tsuna gives him much of a chance. He pretty much decimates the place as soon as they arrive, picks up his stolen chest and snorts at the pitiful attempt of trapping him inside the compound. Maybe, Tsuna thinks to himself, this was the plan all along. Steal from Tsuna so that he would go after them and then trap him inside the building.

Ok. So Tsuna could admit that mistakes were made. He could have handled things better. That said, he didn’t regret a thing so Xanxus’ constant huffing and judgemental looks? Unnecessary. "If you’re trying to make me regret what happened, it won’t work.”

Silence is his only answer but Xanxus is still keeping pace with him so Tsuna counts it as a win and moves on. He knows this kind of spells and so, he knows how to break them. Tsuna finds the key rock hidden among the rubble with Xanxus at his heels like a pissed-off angel of death. Really, it’s better if Tsuna ignores that, to be honest.

He cuts his palm open and reaches for the rock but the unforgiving grip on his wrist stops him short. Tsuna feels like banging his head against a wall at the red-eyed glare trying to burn him alive. He’s also a little out of patience. “How about you stop questioning what I do and enjoy the free show. Everyone enjoys magic shows, right?”

Xanxus as the responsible adult is a daunting thing.

That bit of dry commentary gets him a smouldering look but Xanxus just scoffs and lets him go. There’s that, at least, Tsuna supposes. When they emerge back to the street, it’s to a pile of bones and ashes. With the pull of his magic no longer demanding retribution, Tsuna takes in his surroundings and breathes in slowly to avoid the panic and very carefully ignores Xanxus considering hum at his back.

Then he’s just scrambling after the older man as the Varia Commander makes a beeline towards an abandoned car. He watches in silence as the car is opened up. “You know, I have a feeling that what you’re doing isn’t entirely legal so I can’t condone it but I also won’t stop you.”

They do need transport to leave, after all. 

Xanxus just snorts. “We’re mafia, civilian law means nothing to us.” A moment of consideration and then, “that can’t be legal either.” The hand wave gestures at all the destruction they’re leaving behind.

Tsuna turns around to look at it and feels the beginnings of guilt creeping upon him. He hadn’t meant to go that far. “Technically? It is. They took from me, they should have been prepared for retaliation. By non-magical law? I guess not.”

Sometimes it's difficult, Tsuna admits, to reconcile his magical side with his more human side. Different morals, different responses, different levels of escalation.

There’s a hand on the back of his head pulling him forward and suddenly those red eyes are impossibly close, their foreheads resting against each other. “Listen to me, baby-trash, you did well.” Xanxus pulls back and the hand on the back of Tsuna’s head reaches for his nape instead. Xanxus shakes him a little and then drops a heavy hand on top of Tsuna’s head. “Get in the car.”

With a shaky breath, Tsuna gets in the car.


	2. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conversation afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It came back to me *shrugs*.  
Don't blame me, I'm just trying to write.  
Enjoy!

Tsuna is, admittedly, far more surprised that it has taken Xanxus this long to hunt him down for an explanation than anything else. Xanxus is not a patient man. It does not make it easier to swallow his irritation, the way the magic bristles beneath his skin. 

“Explain,” Xanxus demands, booted feet propped up on Tsuna’s table without a care in the world.

Taking in a deep breath, Tsuna concentrates on suppressing his desire for retaliation. It wouldn’t do, Tsuna reminds himself, to create more chaos where none is necessary. He’s not that bored and this is an insult born out of ignorance, not malice. Tsuna can afford to be lenient. “That’s an offence,” he lets the older man know, “If you want something, you trade for it.”

“How much?” 

Ah, Mammon’s presence in the Varia shows, sometimes. “I have no use for your money.” And Tsuna doesn’t. He’s Vongola Decimo, money hasn’t been an issue for a long while. 

Xanxus body leans forward, obviously interested. Humming, the Varia Commander pulls his feet off the table and plants them firmly on the floor, “what can I offer?”

That’s a good question, open enough to be left to interpretation. Tsuna approves. “Your silence,” when Xanxus only seems slightly confused, Tsuna clarifies, “on the incident. Or have you told somebody already?”

“I haven’t.”

“Good,” Tsuna nods to himself. It would be more a nuisance than anything else but regardless, Tsuna would rather keep this quiet. He goes to confirm the deal, “so an explanation on the law of equal exchange and waiving payment on your offence against it in exchange for your silence on last week’s incident and your prompt answer to my question. Are these terms agreeable?”

There’s an intensity to Xanxus’ eyes that probably should worry Tsuna but it doesn’t. The older man nods. “They are.”

Tsuna extends a hand to seal the deal and Xanxus grasps it. Ignoring the stirring of the magic under his skin, Tsuna starts his explanation, “the law of equal exchange dictates that nothing is either gained or given freely. It must be traded for. It’s the equal part that can make things difficult.” 

Extending his arms in a what-can-you-do gesture, Tsuna sprawls back a little on his own chair. “For example, the fact that I value a bottle of water does not mean that you value it _equally._ If you value it more than I do, in this hypothetical situation, than you would be willing to exchange more for it than I would.”

“As such, I could be giving it to you for less than you actually value the bottle for and so, the law of _equal_ exchange would be broken. That’s when the concept of retribution comes into play.” Tsuna doesn’t bother going into details, he doesn’t explain to Xanxus that magic knows when it is being cheated.

Magic itself, after all, belongs to nobody. It’s a natural energy, they just can borrow it and, in exchange, they are subject to its law. Tsuna could explain this, of course, he’s willing too. But Xanxus has traded for an explanation of the law of equal exchange, not its origins. And his Varia Commander has little to offer in exchange for more information. 

That said, Tsuna does have another trade to make. After all, he only exchanged for Xanxus’ silence on the incident, there’s nothing stopping the man of talking to others about Tsuna’s magical abilities.

“Retribution?” Xanxus prompts, looking interested. “Is that what last week’s mess was about?”

Tsuna blinks a little at the questions. If he was only Tsuna, Vongola Decimo, he would have answered without a second thought. But he’s not right now, magic too close to the surface and topic unrelated to Vongola, Tsuna is far more a mage than human at the moment. 

He’s still human enough, though, to be gentle in his rebuke. “The terms, Xanxus?”

The man leans a little back, looking a little startled for a second and the human side of Tsuna understands. The law of equal exchange rules it all, every single interaction, every action and reaction of the magical realm. It can be hard for non-magicals to understand how all-encompassing it is. 

But Xanxus doesn’t get angry and the part of Tsuna that is still human enough to worry relaxes. The man hums, considering and then leans back, position going back to a lounge. A similar one to the lounge Tsuna himself is doing, if only because he learned it from the older man. 

“Explain to me this retribution and how it influenced lasts week’s mess and in exchange, I will keep silent on your abilities.”

It’s a good start and yet… “Your silence is not enough,” Tsuna casts his gaze to the sealing and thinks for a moment, trying to come up with anything else he might want from Xanxus instead. It’s in moments like this that the law can be such a pain because Tsuna _wants _to give this information. But nothing is ever for free.

In a little spark of mischief, Tsuna smiles, power waking up under his skin and gestures to the older sky’s hair. “Your feathers,” Xanxus throws him a glower but Tsuna continues, “some of your feathers and your silence in exchange for your requests.”

Xanxus is sulking, Tsuna thinks, but now it’s the man’s turn to make a counter-offer or take the one given so Tsuna remains silent. 

“Fine,” Xanxus snarls and that’s all it takes for Tsuna to regret asking. The feathers are important but if Xanxus is willing to bargain them, then Tsuna is selfish enough to want them regardless. “Fine,” Xanxus repeats, “three feathers, I’ll braid them into your hair myself.”

That’s important too, his Hyper Intuition tells him. The magic under Tsuna’s skin purrs. “Alright, your silence and three feathers you’ll braid into my hair in exchange for an explanation about retribution and its influence in last week’s event. Are those terms agreeable?”

“They are.”

Though Xanxus sulks enough that it gives the impression that they aren’t. They shake on it anyway and Tsuna watches avidly as Xanxus takes three feathers off his hair. “Retribution is the result of breaking the law of equal exchange. The balance cannot remain broken and, as such, magic itself demands it to be fixed. Payment then will be extracted both for the remaining debt and the insult.”

Tsuna cranes his neck to the side to give Xanxus space for the braiding. Carefully ignoring the man’s scowl, he continues his explanation: “Last week, that people stole from me. Stealing is no trade, much less equal. As such, magic demanded retribution and I acted. Payment for the inconvenience, for the insult and for the damages rendered.”

With the feathers in place, Xanxus stands back and for some reason, something in his face makes Tsuna stop. So he reaches carefully for some metal he bends with a flicker of his wrist into red-toned metal feathers that he whispers his will to. “I want to braid this into your hair. Your terms?”

The older sky looks curious, still. And a little entertained. “I want to know what it is and what it’s intended for.”

How quickly the man answers makes Tsuna relax a little. It’s hard, to understand the difference between Tsuna as a human and Tsuna as a mage but Xanxus seems almost more amused than put-off and it’s a relief Tsuna didn’t know he needed. He offers the metallic feathers for Xanxus to look at. “Fair terms,” he admits. 

“Knowledge of what this is and the intentions behind it in exchange for letting you braid this into my hair, are those terms agreeable?” 

Xanxus is good, Tsuna thinks, in taking in the wording Tsuna has been using. “They are.”

As soon as they shake on it, Tsuna stands. Xanxus has always been taller than him, it forces Tsuna on his toes just to reach but this feels important, for some reason. He’s not sure if it’s magic or his Hyper Intuition but he knows better than to ignore it. “It’s a good luck charm, simple but effective. It’s intended as protection and affection.”

The older man hums as Tsuna falls back to stand firmly on his feet once more, he finds himself shaken by the scruff of his neck again but before he can complain, human side finally resurfacing some more, Xanxus turns around and makes for the door. “Go on, then, brat.”

Tsuna snorts but he does get back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My [Tumblr](https=//dearcat1.tumblr.com).

**Author's Note:**

> It was originally slash but I don't think it's clear enough.


End file.
